A consortium of experts from universities across the United Kingdom (UK) and government officials gathered in London on 18 September 2025 to launch the 1540 TechHorizon initiative, in partnership with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs.
The initiative aims to explore how UK-based academic, technical, and policy communities can contribute collaboratively to the implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution 1540, especially in the face of the threat from emerging technologies, as well as the opportunities presented by new technology. Convened by the University of Warwick, the inaugural workshop brought together UK-based stakeholders with deep expertise in Artificial Intelligence (AI), non-proliferation, export control, and chemical/biological/nuclear risk governance.
Participants emphasised the opportunity for the UK research ecosystem to support international cooperation on non-proliferation and contribute to responsible technology governance. They also underlined the pressing need to build knowledge and operational capacity, especially in response to the evolving technological landscape.
This workshop aimed to initiate an interdisciplinary collaborative dialogue, led by academic institutions, on how to support the effective implementation of resolution 1540 through advanced technologies. By bringing together AI researchers, defense educators, export control experts, and disarmament officials, the event created not only a better shared understanding of the aims of resolution 1540, but also started the process around a possible future roadmap for such developing such academic based collaborations. As the risk of WMD proliferation by and to non-State actors continues to evolve, including through the use of advanced technologies, so too must the thinking about the opportunities that advance technologies, and collaboration with the academic community, affords for the effective and appropriate implementation measures relating to resolution 1540.